The D Sports Awards: Rookie of the Year

For the second straight year, a men’s basketball player will vie to be named The D Sports Awards Rookie of the Year. And just like Miles Wright ’18 in 2015, Evan Boudreaux ’19 dominated in his first season in Hanover and claimed the 2016 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Award.

The Lake Forest, Illinois native led the league in free throw makes, posted the second most points per game and had the third best total rebound percentage.

Named to the 2015-2016 all-district team for New England by the United States Basketball Writers Association, Boudreaux excelled upon entering Ivy League play. Within conference games, Boudreaux was the only Ivy player to average a double-double every night.

To put his first-year success into context, only one other freshman in the country achieved at least an average of 17 points and nine rebounds on the season — Louisiana State University’s Ben Simmons, the national Freshman of the Year.

Alexa Dlouhy '19, Women's Alpine Skiing

As a true freshman, Alexa Douhly ’19 made her presence known right from the start. In her first three Carnivals hosted by Bates College, Colby College and the University of Vermont, she captured the top podium spot in the giant slalom.

She added another podium finish later in the season when she grabbed a third place finish in the same event at the Williams Carnival. Her regular season successes earned her the top spot of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association’s women’s slalom rankings and ranked her the top skier on the East Coast heading into the NCAA Championships. At the championships, she earned her first All-America honors (Second Team) after a top 10 finish in the slalom, taking home seventh place overall..

Dlouhy played a signficant part in the Dartmouth skiing’s best season in years. It was in no small part Dlouhy’s success that helped push the Big Green to back-to-back Carnival wins after nearly a four-year drought.

Matt Giegerich '19, Men's Squash

Two constants remain for Matt Giegerich ’19’s freshman year comes to an end: his hair and his love for squash.

Like any other freshman athlete, Giegerich arrived at the College full of hopes and aspirations. With nothing less than the utmost discipline and dedication, Giegerich won five of the first six matches of his collegiate debut, including the deciding point to defeat No. 2 Harvard University for the Big Green’s first win against the Crimson in 70 years. Consistently playing in the top four positions of the team, Giegerich strongly finished his rookie season 11-5 and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.

Giegerich’s tale throughout his first year at Dartmouth is one of success. Balancing the rigorous demands of academics with the extensive time commitments of a varsity sport, Giegerich serves as a model for any incoming freshman athlete.

Amadu Kunateh '19, Men's Soccer

Men’s soccer player Amadu Kunateh ’19 established himself as one of the driving forces behind the Big Green’s offense in his rookie season. With four goals, Kunateh tied for the team lead in goals this past season.

Kunateh appeared in 18 games during the fall season for the men’s soccer team, starting 12 of them. His first collegiate goal came in double overtime, giving Dartmouth the victory over the College of the Holy Cross in his first career home game. He also scored deciding goals against Princeton University, Harvard University and Northeastern University. Kunateh recorded 10 points and took 27 shots.

Kunateh was named Co-Ivy League Rookie of the Year and received Second Team All-Ivy honors, as well as the Will Shue Award for Most Outstanding Freshman. Prior to coming to Dartmouth, Kunateh also starred for the U-14 and U-15 United States National Teams.

After his strong rookie campaign, look for Kunateh to star for the Big Green in the next three years on the pitch.

Kat Ramage '19, Rugby

Coming to Dartmouth, Kat Ramage ’19 was a highly recruited rugby player, earning All-American honors and playing in the youth Olympic games in China in 2014.In her first year, Ramage has already made a tremendous impact on the women’s rugby team. Ramage helped lead the Big Green to an Ivy League title in its 15s play during its first season as a varsity team.

In addition, Ramage was selected for the the 2016 winter National All-Star Competition. After playing with some of the best talen in the country, Ramage was recognized as one of 38 players in an age-grade pool that has a strong chance to play for the United States national team. Players in this pool received developmental resources to accelerate their performance.

Since rugby doesn’t keep track of season statistics yet, Ramage’s impact on the team is difficult to quantify in terms of numbers. But her experience speaks for itself: Ramage played scrum-half for the Big Green despite being a center, taking on a decision making role to help guide newer players on the team.